Your Blue Star AFC, NFC Championship Previews!

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I remember when I was a kid, I used to always read the capsule previews for football games in USA Today. They told you the announcers, the time, gave you the offensive and defensive rankings for each team, and gave a quick summary of the matchup. I’m sure USA Today still does that, but since reading newspapers is pointless these days, I thought I’d bring that format over here, to you folks at Blue Star.

No, the Cowboys aren’t in the mix on Sunday, and that’s too bad. But hey, there’s still a doubleheader of football to be played, the last doubleheader until September (GAHHHHHHHH!!!!), so let us sit back and savor it. Here are your matchups:

MATCHUP: No one has solved the Jets pass defense yet. Now it’s up to the best quarterback in football to succeed where so many others have failed. Peyton Manning won’t target all-universe CB Darrelle Revis. Look for Dallas Clark to get a zillion balls thrown his way. Indy’s poor defensive rankings betray how well they played Ray Rice last week. If they can do that again, the Jets may find themselves stonewalled.

MATCHUP: LaVar Arrington pointed out on the radio that Saints defensive captain Darren Sharper knows virtually everything about the Vikings’ offensive and defensive systems, given the extensive time he spent in Minnesota. Will this be another case of one team having the inside info on an opponent, like the Oakland-Tampa Super Bowl? If not, the general consensus is that the Saints have too much passing firepower for the Vikings, and that if Minnesota wants to win this game, they have to limit how often Drew Brees sees the field. Adrian Peterson will have to turn in better numbers than he has the past two months.